Sober Ways to Celebrate Your Recovery from Substance Addiction

It’s not unusual for people to spend time with their families when celebrating birthdays, weddings, graduations, and many more happy occasions. But one additional occasion that deserves a celebration is a family member or friend’s recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Celebrating a recovery from drug and alcohol addiction reminds an addict of all that they have accomplished, how far they’ve come, and how easily they could fall back into their destructive patterns that led them to alcohol addiction in the past. Stress and disappointment can cause a person to relapse, but recommitting to an addiction treatment center in Newark NJ will remind an addict that they have survived bigger hurdles in the past.

Celebrating and keeping track of your recovery milestones is an act of hope. This positive reinforcement helps an individual to have faith in their ability to reach the next milestone which is to remain sober and live a life free from drug and alcohol addiction. Just focus on one day at a time and you won’t even notice how quickly your days of sobriety turn into years, or maybe even decades. The following are some of the suggested ways from most substance addiction treatment center on how to celebrate recovery:

Celebrate an Anniversary Milestone

Addiction comes with its own rituals even in recovery. In AA there are colored chips that are given to commemorate important milestones such as one day of being sober, one month, and one year. Tracking your days of being sober can help to prevent an event of relapse and may discourage you from going back even “just once”. If you started using again, the clock would have to start over and may even need to enter substance addiction treatment center again.

Participate in Recovery Events

Those who have successfully overcome drug or alcohol addiction can enjoy celebrating this milestone with lots of family and friends, while others would rather celebrate their triumphs alone. One option for all recovering addicts could be self-help support groups and other organizations who will schedule a celebration of their freedom from drug or alcohol addiction, some of which include concerts, picnics, games, barbeque parties, dances, guest speakers, and other sober entertainment.

Treat Yourself

When people are on strict diets, they often treat themselves to new outfits or occasional “cheat days” when they can eat anything they want. This philosophy of treating yourself can also be used in the process of addiction recovery. If you reach a treasured milestone of sobriety, celebrate with your loved ones. Take a trip out of town. Buy yourself a new gadget or new clothes. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it motivates you to continue on with sobriety.